Elk Hunting near Bancroft

[AndyMack]

Hello,

I'm new to this forum and have been enjoying reading lots of interesting stuff.

This year I drew an elk tag in WMU 61, harvest zone 5. Seams to be the elk hot spot...

I am wondering if anyone on this forum knows anything about hunting elk in that area? I read an other post saying that elk will congregate in farmer fields in late September. so my best bet is farmer fields on private property? no use trying to locate elk in the woods on public lands?

Does anyone knows a farmer that would allow me elk hunting? I'm planning to drive down to Bancroft and knock on some doors this Sunday.

When Elk hunting, should I hunt like deer, sit and wait? Or should I be more active and walk around calling for them?

any other advice would be helpful, I'm going to give this my 100 percent.

Thanks in advance!

[skypilot]

Hello,

I'm new to this forum and have been enjoying reading lots of interesting stuff.

This year I drew an elk tag in WMU 61, harvest zone 5. Seams to be the elk hot spot...

I am wondering if anyone on this forum knows anything about hunting elk in that area? I read an other post saying that elk will congregate in farmer fields in late September. so my best bet is farmer fields on private property? no use trying to locate elk in the woods on public lands?

Does anyone knows a farmer that would allow me elk hunting? I'm planning to drive down to Bancroft and knock on some doors this Sunday.

When Elk hunting, should I hunt like deer, sit and wait? Or should I be more active and walk around calling for them?

any other advice would be helpful, I'm going to give this my 100 percent.

Thanks in advance!

Many have spent years hiking/following/studying and calling the elk long before they were legal to hunt. Not likely to get much advice on where to hunt them other than to do as you yourself mentioned, talk to farmers and hunt their fields. Meaning set up in the wooded edges and call.

Most farmers I know are asking 500 per person and half of any harvest for permission to hunt their property.

[intothedeep]

Hello,

I'm new to this forum and have been enjoying reading lots of interesting stuff.

This year I drew an elk tag in WMU 61, harvest zone 5. Seams to be the elk hot spot...

I am wondering if anyone on this forum knows anything about hunting elk in that area? I read an other post saying that elk will congregate in farmer fields in late September. so my best bet is farmer fields on private property? no use trying to locate elk in the woods on public lands?

Does anyone knows a farmer that would allow me elk hunting? I'm planning to drive down to Bancroft and knock on some doors this Sunday.

When Elk hunting, should I hunt like deer, sit and wait? Or should I be more active and walk around calling for them?

any other advice would be helpful, I'm going to give this my 100 percent.

Thanks in advance!

A friend of mine lent me a cabin of his a few years ago, when I worked in the park and pretty close to his property was an original elk release site... Not sure what management unit, from quick googling looks like we were in 57, but it could have been 61, hard to tell on the map... Anyhow, this was north of Bancroft, between Maynooth and Maple Leaf, closer to Maynooth, just outside of town. Mostly forest land, with lots of crown and a few farms. Apparently there were elk in our back yard at times, but I never saw any... Not a huge tip, but there are some in that area. Might want to ask at the gas station in Maynooth, some of those locals have no issues with some pointers...

[AndyMack]

Thanks for the advice.

when you say many have spent years studying elk before they were legal to hunt, but not likely to get much advice on where to hunt them... do you mean that people that know lots about elk would not share knowledge?

[skypilot]

Thanks for the advice.

when you say many have spent years studying elk before they were legal to hunt, but not likely to get much advice on where to hunt them... do you mean that people that know lots about elk would not share knowledge?

People that have spent time and money scouting, calling and photo shooting elk in the anticipation of an eventual elk season won't likely do it free if at all(some are competing in the draw also). None I know will, outside of a general how to. Plus many paid over and over and over as landowners with NO COMPENSATION or sympathy from Ontario from elk damage and seek reimbursement any way they can to offset the years of damage(the reason for the land usage fees)

On top of that, not one resident/landowner of the area was picked in the draw the first year it was opened and that "toasted" a few people that are in the know about elk and suffered financial losses.

[AndyMack]

Interesting. Wasnt aware of those issues but now i am. I guess there are always such dynamics at play when dealing with game management. Hopefully some farmer allows me to help him out with his or her elk problem. PS: general know how was what i was looking for.

[skypilot]

Interesting. Wasnt aware of those issues but now i am. I guess there are always such dynamics at play when dealing with game management. Hopefully some farmer allows me to help him out with his or her elk problem. PS: general know how was what i was looking for.

The elk destroyed fencing and crops with no restitution from the MNR, only more patrols and threats.

I don't hunt 61 so I don't know the landowners there. Try contacting a few and gauge their response. They will also have the latest most updated info. on efficient harvesting times etc. Plus some will look forward to the fee and the meat.

Another plus is that it has been a few years of open season so many may have loosened up. On the other hand many aren't receptive to outsiders.

[Gilroy]

Hello,

I'm new to this forum and have been enjoying reading lots of interesting stuff.

This year I drew an elk tag in WMU 61, harvest zone 5. Seams to be the elk hot spot...

I am wondering if anyone on this forum knows anything about hunting elk in that area? I read an other post saying that elk will congregate in farmer fields in late September. so my best bet is farmer fields on private property? no use trying to locate elk in the woods on public lands?

Does anyone knows a farmer that would allow me elk hunting? I'm planning to drive down to Bancroft and knock on some doors this Sunday.

When Elk hunting, should I hunt like deer, sit and wait? Or should I be more active and walk around calling for them?

any other advice would be helpful, I'm going to give this my 100 percent.

Thanks in advance!

Hi Andy,

Talked with a local just last week about Elk in that area.Apparently Upper Turniff Road off Highway 62 in WMU 61 looks like a place a guy might want to take a look.Had a peek on the Ontario Crown Atlas and see a pile of crown land just east of Upper Turniff Road and Old Detlor Trail. The corner shows as G340 on the Crown Map.I can also see a road called Spruce Lake Trail on the Crown Land.I would take a peek at that area if I was you.

[AndyMack]

I tough I would share the conclusion of my hunt with you guys. I ended up getting permission on a private property and got a cow. Most elk are on farmers lands because that is where the food is, in harvest area 5 anyways. Elk act much like deer in that sense. the locals do not like to give permissions out because it is so hard to get tags for themselves. Maybe the Ministry should keep a certain number of tags just for the locals, which makes sense to me. anyways, it was a cool experience and it starts the season really well.




ELK.jpg

[dutchhunter]

Congratulations
Not to many guys can say thy have a Ontario elk.